Hawks coach Clarkson in scuffle with fan

Hawthorn coach Alastair Clarkson has been involved in a scuffle with a fan outside the team’s Adelaide hotel following Saturday night’s loss to Port Adelaide.

In footage provided to Channel Seven, Clarkson is seen to shove the fan forcefully to the neck area after he approached the coach and shouted in his face.

The male fan, filming on his phone, initially approached the coach and said: “Hey, Clarko, how was the win, mate?” before getting in closer and yelling “Go the Power”, at which point Clarkson shoved him away.

The fan is then heard to say: “I got that on film, brother” before the footage ends.

A caller to 3AW on Sunday morning said that Clarkson had been subjected to provocation before the footage started.

Hawthorn chief executive Stuart Fox described the incident as very unfortunate.

“Alastair was walking back to the hotel with our general manager of football Chris Fagan and came across some intoxicated boys and Clarko was certainly harassed,” Fox told The Herald Sun.

“He politely declined to be photographed and videoed and the boys just got in his face and tried to get Clarko into the hotel and it was one of those issues that got a little bit ugly.

“We’ve spoken to the AFL and one of the issues is obviously getting back to the hotel safely.

“I think this one is extreme provocation. He’s been provoked, they were heavily intoxicated and these guys had altercations with a number of guests at the hotel.

“They had no Port Adelaide gear on, they just looked like punters on the streets to me and I wouldn’t even had known whether they’d been at the football or at the pub.

“I’ve got empathy for him (Clarkson) … Chris Fagan was in an awkward situation as well.”

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